How%20to%20Improve%20Study%20Habits%20and%20Get%20Better%20Grades.

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How to Improve Study Habits and Get Better Grades.

• Exam-Taking Tips

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This only works if you DO ITOverview

• Why Study?
• Maintaining Motivation.
• Being Organized.
• In Class.
• Before/After Class.
• But, I have lousy memory!
• Exam-Taking Tips

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Why Study?

• The Future
• plan to become a hermit?
• Jobs
• Self-Respect
• Grades

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Maintaining Motivation

• Focus on the Goals
• Study Groups
• Self-Rewards
• Creating Routines
• EXCEPT--no reading the text in bed!!

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Getting Organized

• buy the books
• prepare a timetable--work, sleep, play
• set a specific time for studying each course
• benefits of spaced/distributed practice versus
  massed practice
• physical activity as part of routine

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In Class

• 80 of success in life is showing up
• Confused???
• Ask--10 other people will thank you
• Asking Questions
• Taking Notes
• record concepts and key terms
• not verbatim notes--LISTEN to Learn

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Before/After Class

• Read the text--systematically actively
• including the headings, tables, focus issues
• Take notes--avoid the highlighter
• Review your lecture notes
• Check for the overlap between text notes and
  lecture notes--hint, hint, hint
• Read the text--again.

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Memory Tips

• Encoding
• understand first, then easier to remember
• focus--reduce distractions
• ask questions (either your own, or from Study
  Guide)
• use mnemonic devices
• chunking
• use different encoding techniques
• self-referencing

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Aids for Improving Retrieval

• Number your points
• Visualize the material
• Use other information to jog retrieval
• Free-associate
• Link to the things you do know
• State-Dependent Learning
• Use a system, e.g. SQ3R

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Exam-Taking TipsIn part based on Pfeifer
Ogloff, 1991)

• Study/Come with the tools needed.
• Have a strategy.
• look at the weight of the different
  sections--apportion time appropriately.
• read any essay questions early, the rest of the
  test might have retrieval cues.
• Dont Rush--you will usually be given ample time
  to complete an exam.

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Recall Questions

• Use an OUTLINE to organize your thoughts.
• Answer the question being asked. ( Read the
  question carefully, answer all aspects/parts of
  the question.)
• Do not provide information not requested. (Do not
  waste time and space repeating the question or
  padding.)
• Resist the temptation to guess. (Including your
  confusing material will likely confuse your
  marker!)
• Keep track of time.

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Essay-Style Questions--DO!

• Answer the question being asked.
• Complete all components of the question.
• Whenever possible, do an outline first!

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Essay-Style Question--Marking

• Correct Content--All relevant points.
• Correct use of terms and concepts.
• Relevant examples.
• Integration with related content.
• Clear and concise writing--grammatical!

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Exam-taking Tips

• Have a plan
• check that you have all the pages
• put your name on everything!
• read all instructions--CAREFULLY
• Plan your time (allocate by value of questions).
• GOOD LUCK